The first light of dawn finds the National Geographic Sea Bird approaching Little Goose Dam and lock. The lockmaster is filling the lock as we draw near and soon gives us the green light to enter. Our sailors toss a line over the floating bollard and make our ship fast to the wall of the lock. The water drains quickly away, the great “barn” doors open, and we sail on down the Snake River, bound for its confluence with the Palouse River. On the Palouse we drop anchor and prepare for our day of adventures: driving over the fascinating channeled scablands to Palouse Falls, cruising up the Palouse River in expedition landing craft, and kayaking.
At Palouse Falls we learn more about the gigantic Ice Age outburst floods and how this landscape and the waterfall were formed by the powerful torrents of surging water. We see the Palouse River pour over a precipice of basalt and fall 200 feet into its dark plunge pool. Meanwhile, down on the river we cruise between high, dark cliffs of basalt that rise precipitously on either side; the rocks have weathered to a rich dark brown and are trimmed with buff grasses of autumn. Many graceful western grebes swim and dive before us and codgeries of coots patter across the surface of the water as they rush to take flight. We take time to appreciate the sharp smell of willows and the pungent aroma of sagebrush. We learn about the local plants and their uses and see a beaver lodge that has recently been renovated in preparation for winter. Overhead a golden eagle soars and magpies flash their white wing patches as they fly along the dark cliffs. Near the water shrubs have turned golden this early autumn and mountain sumac smolders crimson among the talus slopes. Kayakers ply the calm waters of the lower Palouse in bright red and yellow kayaks.
In the afternoon we transit Lower Monumental Dam lock and many take advantage of the opportunity to go through the lock in expedition landing craft. Into the cool of the evening, through sunset and the rising of a large gibbous moon, an enthusiastic group on the bow shares camaraderie and sightings of birds, river otters, and mule deer before retreating to the warmth of the lounge for drinks and hors d’oeuvres.
